This guest post is by Emily R., an autistic adult and returning college student. She is applying for the Spring 2026 Making a Difference Autism Scholarship via the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference started by me, Kerry Magro. I was nonspeaking till 2.5 and diagnosed with autism at 4 and you can read more about my organization here.
Autistics on Autism the Next Chapter: Stories You Need to Hear About What Helped Them While Growing Up and Pursuing Their Dreams was released on Amazon on 3/25/25 and looks at the lives over 75 Autistic adults. 100% of the proceeds from this book will go back to supporting our nonprofits many initiatives, like this scholarship program. Check out the book here. Would you like me to travel to speak with your school or company on autism and inclusion? You can contact me here for more details.
School never came easy to me. I grew up as the oldest of three children in a household where no one had attended college. From a young age, I was told that if I wanted higher education, I would need to find a way to pay for it myself. That pressure, combined with my learning challenges, turned me away from pursuing college right after high school.
For years, I felt like something was missing. I worked in retail, customer service, fast food, and eventually found stability in embroidery work. While I gained technical skills and consistency, I also realized that this field offered little room for growth unless I started my own business. I felt stuck. Without a degree, my future felt limited.
Everything began to shift when I was diagnosed with autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, depression, and anxiety in adulthood.
For decades, I knew I struggled, but I never knew why. Growing up in the 1980s as a female, my challenges were overlooked. I was never formally tested in school, even though I required tutors for speech, math, and other subjects. I internalized those struggles as personal failures rather than unmet needs.
Receiving my diagnosis later in life was both validating and overwhelming. It explained so much of my experience, yet it also meant learning how to navigate adulthood with a new understanding of myself. Resources for autistic adults are limited, and finding counselors who truly understand autism in adulthood has been challenging. Still, this diagnosis gave me something I never had before: clarity.
As I worked on my mental health with a therapist and psychologist, I began to reconnect with something that always grounded me: nature. Hiking and solo camping became a form of regulation and healing. The deeper I went into the woods, the calmer I felt. Away from noise, expectations, and people, I could finally breathe.
That’s when it clicked.
My dream job has always been to work as a national park ranger. I grew up camping with my family, and my love for public lands never faded. But without a degree, that dream felt impossible. Instead of giving up, I made the hardest decision of my life: returning to college after more than two decades.
I chose to pursue Environmental Science with a focus on park management. My first semester back in school, I earned a 3.8 GPA. For the first time, I felt capable in an academic setting.
Outside the classroom, I began shaping my future through volunteering. I now serve as a welcome desk and visitor services volunteer at multiple historic and park sites. These experiences allow me to gain firsthand exposure to park operations and confirm that this is the path I want to pursue.
Going back to school as an autistic adult has not been easy. Financial stress, self-doubt, and navigating accommodations remain ongoing challenges. But I refuse to let age, fear, or past setbacks stop me.
I once believed school was not meant for me. Now I understand that I simply needed the right support and the right timing. I will earn my degree. I will pursue a career in park services. And I will continue moving forward, one step at a time.
Kerry Magro, a professional speaker and best-selling author who is also on the autism spectrum started the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help students with autism receive scholarship aid to pursue a post-secondary education. Help us continue to help students with autism go to college by making a tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit here.
Kerry Magro, a professional speaker and best-selling author who is also on the autism spectrum, founded the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help students with autism receive scholarship support to pursue post-secondary education. You can help us continue supporting autistic students by making a tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit here.
You can also consider having Kerry speak at your next event by submitting an inquiry here. Kerry speaks with schools, businesses, government agencies, colleges, nonprofits, parent groups, and conferences on topics including autism, employment, college success, mental health, inclusion, and bullying prevention.
